On Monday, the first-ever cinema theater opened its doors to audiences in the Saudi city of Jeddah, Arab News reported.
The opening of VOX Cinemas in the city's Red Sea Mall comes months after the kingdom ended its long-standing ban on cinemas in the country.
Speaking at an event celebrating the launch, Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, expressed his high hopes for the movie-going industry in the kingdom.
"If you look at Dubai we have some 15 million customers there per annum. On the short-term goal in Saudi Arabia we are expecting the market to reach about 30 million customers," he explained.
Last year, the kingdom officially opened its theater doors to movie-goers in the capital city of Riyadh.
At the time, the AMC theater, which is located in the King Abdullah Financial District in the capital city of Riyadh, was considered the first cinema to open in the country since the 80s.
As more cinemas open in the kingdom, the industry is expected to hugely contribute to the country's economy.
According to a recent study by PwC Middle East, a global advisory firm, the kingdom's cinema industry is expected to generate $1.5 billion in revenue by 2030.
People couldn't wait for the first Jeddah cinema to open
Many were too excited
To say the least
"Beautiful vibes, rain, and cinemaaa."
"We can finally use this WhatsApp status for real"
Saudi cinemas are finally back after decades
Cinemas were banned in the early 1980s after a number of powerful clerics closed down existing ones across the kingdom.
Prior to the 2018 ban lift, thousands of Saudis traveled to neighboring Bahrain for entertainment.
Before cinemas officially opened their doors in the kingdom, nationals and expats got the opportunity to attend the screening of the Sony-backed animated comedy film The Emoji Movie in January.
The animated film was screened alongside Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie as a double bill.
In April, the first movie to screen in the country was Black Panther - a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character.
The ban lift on cinemas in the country came at a time when its entertainment scene was transforming under the kingdom's General Authority for Entertainment.
The government-owned body was established in 2016 and is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Its main goal is to enhance the cultural and entertainment sector within the country.
In January 2017, the authority's former chairman Amr al-Madani stated that the ban on cinemas will be lifted in the kingdom, revealing that movie theaters were expected to open soon.
Just over a year later, his statement turned into a concrete plan that has now become a reality.